Spring Break
Winter white out
Nikolaus Olsen
Snow, and lots of it, came to Colorado's front range Wednesday, dumping heavy, wet snow at a rate of an inch per hour. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for cities from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. Dismayed students, their minds still in tropical spring break hangouts, strapped on boots and hats and grudgingly attended to the task of scraping snow and ice off their windshields.
"This would be the best one so far. March is our snowiest month," weather service forecaster Jim Kalina told the Associated Press Wednesday. The snow also could put to rest fears that La Nina will make this a dry March, similar to last year.
Up to 2 feet of snow was expected on the eastern slopes of the foothills and 20 inches of snow had fallen by 3 p.m. in Estes Park yesterday. The Fort Morgan and Greeley areas were likely to pick up from 6 to 12 inches. Fort Collins can expect anywhere from 8 to 18 inches of snow before the it dissipates by midmorning today.
Though taken by surprise, most students were happy to finally get a real dose of winter.
"Snow is fun. It's cold, wet, and there's a lot of it," said senior Spanish major Andrew Scott. "I keep feeling that old fifth-grade temptation to throw snowballs at cars."
Of course, fresh snow is a deviate to education, sending some students to the hills instead of lecture.
"I'm going to ditch and go skiing," said Amy Seneff, a sophomore majoring in restaurant and resort management. The last snowfall of any significance in the Denver area was Feb. 19. The city had recorded no snow through March 14, and only 0.38 inches of precipitation.
"I woke up screaming," said Daniela Frum, a sophomore recreation and tourism major. "I was getting a little discouraged because we weren't getting much snow this season."
Precipitation for the year was 0.85 inches, slightly more than half the average. The snow will not last long. The NWS predicts the snow will taper off by midmorning today with skies clearing. The predicated high is 50 degrees.
"Like I heard when I moved here: 'if you don't like the weather, just wait a few ... ,'" said Fort Collins resident Jenny Duer, who moved to Fort Collins from the Chicago area.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report.
